Boston Burger Company

My friends and I have regularly visited the Boston Burger Company since they opened about a year ago. Great selection of burgers and they always have a couple additional ""specials"" as well. I haven't had a burger I didn't like: Waikiki, Artery Clogger, Mac Attack, the list goes on... They offer free refills on sodas, which is a very nice touch as well. The burgers are sizable and delicious. Pros: lots of food, great taste, lots of selection Cons: fries must be ordered separately more

I am going to go-ahead and declare myself a veggie burger connoisseur, and until I visited the BBC for the first time, I didn't think I'd ever find the perfect veggie burger in greater Boston. I am continually, pleasantly surprised that this house-made veggie burger here is moist and fresh with a great crunch on the outside and bits of carrot for a very slight sweetness. The best part of the Boston Burger Company is that they *don't* nickel-and-dime you. Remember that scene in ""When Harry Met Sally"" when Meg Ryan has very specific instructions about her food? I hate to admit it, but when it it comes to sandwiches, I am definitely a huge pain-in-the-behind for my server. That's never a problem for the servers here at BBC--they are always polite, friendly, and happy to make sure I get exactly what I want, even if it means substitutions (a direct substitution has no extra cost) and lots of items on the side. Before you think anyone's slipping me a stack of cash to write this review, I agree with my fellow reviewers that the potato chips that come standard with the burgers here are overcooked, and the coleslaw is watery with not-even-close to enough seasoning. I'd say skip the chips all together and go with the beans - a good balance of maple sweetness and bacon saltiness. While I'm not typically a sweet potato fries fan, I love their BBC Sweet Potato Fries. Covered in cinnamon-y caramel, these double as a side and dessert - a little hint: add a *very* light sprinkling of table salt to bring out the sweet potato character that can almost be drowned by the caramel. Additionally, don't forget to mention when you'd like your fries to come to the table - the kitchen is happy to serve them before your burger, during, or even slightly afterward. Pros: Veggie burgers, baked beans, sweet potato fries Cons: Potato chips, coleslaw more

Placed right in the middle of Davis Square in Somerville, The Boston Burger Company certainly has a great location going for it, and not much else. We arrive on an absolutely perfect Sunday afternoon, seated right by the open bay window in this small, but inviting twelve table spot. The menu, as expected, is mostly burgers, but in order to please everyone they boast a few chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers, and an assortment of salads that have been done a million times over. (wedge salad with blue cheese anyone?) The menu is written in a faux style chalk board, giving the impression of daily menu changes and a homestyle feel, but anyone can see through that. The smells are nice, you can pick up the griddled aromas blocks away and I am excited to dive in. The burgers (twenty-two in all if you count conch and veggie) all come with homemade potato chips and a choice of baked beans or coleslaw. Fries and onion rings are to be ordered separately, and some toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, etc.) are free, while others are an additional charge, pretty standard fare. I order a cheddar cheese burger and as a group we split the classic fries, garlic parm fries and onion rings. There are eleven different fries options in all, as well as conch bites and the like. Bad sign number one as our rings and fries arrive first, a good five minutes ahead of our burgers. I realize they may seem more like a side dish at this point, but c'mon, serve the fries with the burgers please. One bite into the fries and I'm upset, while crispy on the outside, the fries are barely cooked on the inside, more like potato wedges than anything, and lack any salt whatsoever. The onion rings have a nice batter, text book actually, but have zero onion taste in them, their all batter. The garlic parm fries are decent, but a poor quality of parm, which is unmelted, is duly noted. The burgers come, mine is of course over-cooked, and there is way too much lettuce, at least 6 thick pieces. The cheese is nicely melted, but almost nonexistent, the saving grace might be the bun, which comes from Piantedosi in Malden, and is delicious, although I wish it had been griddled or toasted. The homemade chips are abysmal, totally over-cooked, and we all agree they are barely edible, a complete afterthought. The coleslaw is nice, well seasoned. The burger overall is pretty good, made from Angus beef, it is, well, beefy, seasoned the best of anything else on the menu, but still not enough for me. It does have good flavor and is relatively juicy, I just wish it was cooked to order. Nick's is cooked perfectly, and I can't understand the inconsistencies, not just here, but almost everywhere in Boston, in cooking a burger to order. All in all, for three of us, we spend $55 including tip, but probably didn't need the onion rings and two different fries, one would have been enough. The surroundings are good here, the service is attentive and it looks the part, but never fully delivers. more

Holy crap, them's some burgers! Burgers for all tastes! (even vegetarians, although it's an extra buck and I have no idea if they're any good). This is a very small space serving up some very big food. The size and burger options make it seem boutique-y, but it's actually quite straightforward and unpretentious in atmosphere and presentation. I came here recently for an early dinner before a movie at the Somerville Theatre, and was once again beset by its various choices. It's not that the list is endless -although it is extensive- it's that each option looks better than the last making decisions difficult. Coming early is a good idea too, because the space is small and it fills up quickly. The first time I went, there was a 30+ minute wait (I'm glad I waited, BTW). The burgers are large but not huge, and tasty, although I have found ""done-ness"" to be slightly unpredictable. One is tempted to order fries or some other sides to split, but that can be a fool's errand given the portion sizes and the chips and beans (or slaw) that come with the burgers. It's easy to fill up fast, but I can at least say that the sweet potato fries were pretty good. My next mission is to try some of the other items such as the cheese fries or boneless wings to see how other items on the menu fair, but you certainly can't go wrong just ordering a burger. Pros: burgers, burgers, burgers Cons: small, can be a bit of a wait more